Coin hopper



Feb. 16,1954 w. M. STEWART COIN HOPPER Filed April 4. 1952 R, w L mw/ zvm n a rd M Wu, 5113/ ,.4 J,MMA7 Q gj U H Patented Feb. 16, 1954 COINHOPPER Wilson Marks Stewart, Ottawa,

Ontario, Canada Application April 4, 1952, Serial No. 280,539 4 Claims.(01. 19497) This invention relates to a coin hopper adapted for use witha coin Selector of the type having a swingable sate.

A common type of coin selector has a swingable gate and a center plate.The swingable gate is normally biassed towards the center plate and isheld a predetermined distance therefrom by spacers or other suitablemeans so that a coin receiving opening is formed between the gate andthe center plate.

When the coin selector becomes jammed with a spurious or counterfeitcoin, it may be cleared of the coin by operation of means (which will behereinafter described) which swings the swingable gate a predetermineddistance away from the center plate. This action allows the jammed cointo drop out of the coin selector. An example of a coin selector of thistype is described in U. 8. Patent 2,292,628, issued August 11, 1942, inthe name of Benjamin W. Fry.

It has been usual to provide a coin hopper or similar means to feed thecoins to the coin receiving opening of the coin selector. In priorhoppers all of the sides thereof were fixed so that if two or more coinscame to the bottom of the hopper together they could jam between thefixed sides. The rejecting feature of typical coin selectors was usefulonly for coins jammed in the selector and had no application for coinsjammed in the hopper above the selector. Further, the jammed coinsprevented any subsequent coins from reaching the coin receiving openingso that the entire apparatus with which the coin selector was associatedwas rendered inoperative. In order to put the apparatus back intooperation it was necessary to open it and remove the jammed coins fromthe hopper. This inconvenience was often enhanced when the persons whocould open the apparatus were not readily available.

Often, a coin would enter the hopper at right angles to the convergingsides thereof so that it would stand on edge across the mouth of thehopper. Sometimes, under these conditions the offending coin could beknocked out of this position and down into the coin receiving opening bypounding or jiggling the apparatus. At other times, particularly whenthe apparatus was very rigidly mounted, the offending coin remained inthe on-edge position at the top of the hopper and no reasonable amountof pounding or jiggling would dislodge it.

t is the principal object of the present invention to provide a coinhopper wherein the size of the opening at the lower end thereof may beconjunction with the following detailed description.

Figure 1 is an elevation of a typical coin selector with a coin hopperaccording to the invention mounted thereon,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to that of Figure 2 but with theswingable gate shownin the rejectin position, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 and looking in thedirection of the arrows.

In the drawings, It] represents the center plate of a typical coinselector. A swingable gate H is mounted on a pintle I2 and biasedtowards the center plate I ll by means of a spring such as is shown at83. Any suitable means (not shown) may be used to space the swingablegate H from the center plate [0 so as to form a coin receiving opening M(Figure 2). A dimple I5 is formed in the swingable gate II. A fingerplate l1 having a downwardly extending flange I8 is mounted on a pivotl9. Secured in the flange I 8 is a protuberance it having a domedextremity which seats in the dimple l5. When pressure is applied to thefinger plate I! in a downward direction, it pivots about l9 therebycausing the protuberance l6 to come out of the dimple l5. This actionforces the gate H to open against the action of the spring It so thatthe width of the coin receiving slot is increased (see Figure 3). Thusany spurious coins which may be lodged in the coin selector are allowedto drop into chutes, one of which is shown at 20. The various featuresand parts of the coin se- I! which opens the swingable gate 1 I.

3 lector are standard and form no part of the present invention.

Associated with the coin selector is a coin hopper 2|. The coin hopper2! has a back plate 22 which is provided with forwardly directed flanges23, 24. Pivotably supported in the flanges 23, 24 at 25, 26 is a slopingmember 21. The lower edge of the sloping member 21 is in restingengagement with the top of the swingable gate II.

If a plurality of coins are fed to the hopper 2i and happen to arrive atthe mouth 28 together, they are liable to jam thereby preventing anyfurther coins from reaching the coin receiving opening 14 of the coinselector. This was formerly a serious problem since prior coin hoppersemployed fixed sides, and jiggling or shaking of the apparatus wasliable to increase the jamming rather than relieve it. With the coinhopper 2! of the instant invention, any jammed coins are easily releasedby operation of the finger plate edge of the sloping member 21 whichrests against the upper edge of the gate II will swing about its pivot25, 26 thereby increasing the width of the opening of the mouth 28 sothat any coins jammed therein are allowed to pass into the coinselector. This swinging action of the sloping member 21 occurs abruptly.When the finger plate I! is released, the action of the spring It?returns the swingable gate 1 l to its original position (Figure 2) in anabrupt manner. Hence, a kicking action is given to the lower edge of thesloping member 21 by the gate ll causing the sloping member 21 toflutter about its pivot points 25, 25. Any coins which are not releasedby opening the gate H are kicked out of their jammed condition by thefluttering action of the sloping member 21. Further, any coins whichhave come to rest on edge and are lodged between the back plate 22 andthe sloping member 21 will be kicked up by the fluttering action andallowed to drop through the hopper 21 into the coin selector.

It is preferred (as shown in Figures 2 and 3) to provide the uppersurface of the sloping member 21 with an arcuate curvature in the upperportion and a plane surface in the lower portion.

The lower What I claim as my invention is:

1. In combination with a coin chute oi the type having a. verticallypivoted forwardly swingable gate, a vertical coin hopper disposed abovesaid coin chute and arranged to feed coins thereto;

said coin hopper comprising a first member, two

side members extending forwardly from said first member, and arearwardly sloping member pivotally supported near its upper edgebetween said side members;

the pivot point of said sloping member in each side member beingpositioned forward of said swingable gate and near the edge of said sidemember which is remote from said first member; the lower edge of saidsloping memher being in resting engagement with the upper edge of saidswingable swingable gate is given gate so that when said a substantiallysudden motion a fluttering action is imparted to said sloping member.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the upper surface of saidsloping member has a convex curvature.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the upper portion ofthe upper surface of said sloping member has a convex curvature.

4. The combination as defined in claim 3 wherein the lower portion ofthe upper surface of said sloping member is substantially a planesurface.

Reference WILSON MARKS STEWART.

s Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number

